Knockout Rigs for Putting Jumbos on Ice

Perch can display a narrow and unpredictable preference for certain baits. Part of their quirky nature lies in their opportunistic lifestyle, selectively feeding on a variety of items from zooplankton to small insect larvae to scuds to minnows. Whether perch are on shallow weedy flats at early-ice or on deeper transitions in midwinter, never is a fish’s patterning more important, often requiring a few hard-fought rounds to score big.

When perch are aggressive they often treat baits like heavyweights. One particular early-ice outing comes to mind, when our shiners set on steel leaders below tip-ups became quarry for jumbos rather than pike. Never mind that we were offering maggot-packed jigs to perch through other nearby holes with no takers on this shallow flat.

On the other hand, we’ve also seen groups of perch come in to inspect a flashy curiosity but remain reluctant to strike. Whether it’s fishing pressure, a change in weather, or an adjustment in diet, perch can shut down on more aggressive presentations requiring smaller, subtler offerings. Certain presentations win by unanimous decision simply because they catch perch when many others don’t.

One-Two Punch

Although introduced to In-Fisherman readers over two decades ago, the dropper rig design actually finds its origin among European anglers. Coined by In-Fisherman Editor In Chief Doug Stange as the best perch lure of all time, this search rig, as it’s also called, is composed of a baited hook or small jig presented on a dropper line slightly below a flash or swimming lure. Its primary purpose is to attract perch with the flash of a swimming lure and trigger strikes on the smaller bait offered on the dropper.

Good attractor lures include flash baits like the Acme Kastmaster, Hopkins Shorty, or Bay De Noc Swedish Pimple in the 1/16- to 1/4-ounce range. Swimmers like Rapala’s Jigging Rap and Jigging Shad Rap, and the Nils Master Jigger or Jigging Shad, also are effective search lures. Ice Fishing Guide Editor Jeff Simpson, a seasoned dropper rigger, also likes Salmo’s Chubby Darter as a search lure because of its high visibility.

Spoons and swimmers give the rig a different action. Spoons impart a wobble as it descends and an erratic action when jigged vertically, while swimmers have a spiraling action. Simpson finds that heavy swimmers get baits down quickly, a good asset when the bite is hot and you need to present baits in a hurry.

Remove the treble from the attractor lure and tie on a 2- to 21⁄2-inch dropper with a small single hook or treble, or a 1/32- or 1/64-ounce leadhead jig. These dropper-length specs are fairly exact; anything longer results in increased tangles. Simpson often attaches the dropper line to the lure with a loop knot to help it swing freely below the bait.

The nose and tail hooks on swimming lures can be retained to hook perch that strike the search lure, but removing them makes the rig more tangle-resistant without sacrificing numbers. Just about all the strikes are on the dropper.

Pack the trigger hook or jig with maggots or use a small shiner. Also try adding a Berkley Crappie Nibble or a piece of Eagle Claw Nitro Gem to the hook shank below the eye for added color and flavor to attract perch. Other options for added visibility are sliding an Owner Glow Bead over the hook eye, or using a glow hook like Northland Tackle’s Super-Glo Attractor Hook.

For the dropper line, use a lighter 4- to 6-pound monofilament like Berkley Trilene XL or a fluorocarbon line. Six-pound FireLine serves well as a mainline, allowing better feel in deep water, but 4- or 6-pound mono is a good all-around choice for most conditions. It might be tempting to try a thin braid for the dropper, but braids are too supple and tend to tangle with the attractor lure.